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Greatest Sporting Moments

Watch the footage of ten sporting events, spanning a period of 40 years, which stunned the world of sport and those watching at home.

Sport, to paraphrase the late, great Bill Shankly, is not a matter of life and death. It's much more important than that.

Because, in sport, sometimes the impossible happens.

The world of sport has conjured up some memorable moments that have gone down in history. Be it for an amazing individual achievement, a world first or for a triumph against all the odds, everybody has their favourites.

We take a look back at 10 events over the past 40 years that each stunned the world of sport and those watching at home.

1) England win the 1966 FIFA World Cup (Wembley, 1966)

England won football’s World Cup for the first time since the tournament began in 1930.

A crowd of 93,000 spectators, including the Queens and Prince Phillip, filled Wembley Stadium to watch the host nation play West Germany in the final game of the 1966 championships.

Another 400 million people around the world watched the keenly fought match on television.

In the final moments of extra time, Geoff Hurst powered home his third goal to give England a 4-2 victory and to become the first man to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final.

In one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, Ali regained his title by defeating champion Foreman in their bout in Zaire.

The fight, hyped as “The Rumble In The Jungle” was the first to be promoted by the legendary Don King and nobody gave former champion Ali a chance.

Foreman had won 37 of his 40 bouts by knockout, mostly within three rounds. Eight of his previous fights didn’t go past the second round. Ali saw an opportunity to outlast Foreman and capitalised on it, knocking him out in the eighth.

3) Maradona’s World Cup (Mexico, 1986)

Maradona captained Argentina to a second World Cup triumph in Mexico ’86 and it’s a World Cup that will forever be synonymous with him.

He scored 5 goals in that tournament, including two against England in one of the greatest ever World Cup encounters.

Both are among the most talked about goals in World Cup history.

The first was the infamous "Hand of God" and the second probably the greatest goal ever scored in a World Cup game, as he ran from his own half showing magic displays and leaving seven English players for dead before scoring.

4) Ian Botham’s Headingley Heroics (Yorkshire, 1981)

After fierce criticism in the newspapers, the England cricket team were on the verge of an embarrassing Ashes defeat against Australia at Headingley.

Ladbrokes had offered 500-1 against an England win and that seemed a generous price for an English team on the road to ruin.

With England in deep trouble at 105/5 in their second innings, Australia were heading for a comfortable innings win.

Ian Botham walked out to bat after Peter Willey made his way back to the pavilion but matters didn’t improve as first Geoff Boycott and then Bob Taylor were soon dismissed. At 135/7 an innings defeat looked certain.

When Graham Dilley joined Botham at the crease, Botham reportedly said, “Right then, let’s have a bit of fun…”. With able support from Dilley (56) and Chris Old (29), Botham hit out and by the close of play was 145 not out.

On the final’s day play there was time for just four more runs from Botham before Bob Willis was out and Botham was left on 149 not out.

Willis’ real contribution was with the ball. After Botham took the first wicket, Willis skittled Australia out for just 111, giving England a win by just 18 runs.

It was only the second time in history that a team following on had won a Test match.

5) “That tie breaker” John McEnroe Vs Bjorn Borg (Wimbledon, 1980)

The ice-cool Swedish champion Bjorn Borg against the brash John McEnroe who was snapping at his heels for the crown of the world's best player.

Borg's four-year reign at Wimbledon seemed over when the American sailed through the first set with his swinging, left-handed serve a dominant factor.

But Borg started to find the range with his heavy passing shots in the second set and looked on course for another title when he edged the third.

The Swede held two match points at 5-4 in the fourth set but McEnroe saved them with diving volleys.

The match was already destined to be the most memorable for years, but then came a tie-break the like of which may never be seen again.

McEnroe had seven set points and Borg five more match points, four on his own serve. McEnroe finally took it after 22 minutes and 34 contested points.

6) The Ball Of The Century (Manchester, 1993)

Also referred to as the “Gatting Ball” or “that ball” was the name given to a cricket delivery bowled by Australia’s Shane Warne to England’s Mike Gatting.

On the second day of the first test of the 1993 Ashes series in Old Trafford, Warne produced a spectacular delivery that bowled Gatting.

It became recognised as being of considerable significance in not just the context of the match or series, but in cricket in general, helping to revive the neglected discipline of leg spin bowling.

7) “That try” Barbarians Vs New Zealand (Cardiff, 1973)

The Barbarians final challenge match with the All Blacks at Cardiff Arms Park is celebrated as one of the best games of rugby ever to be played.

It was a game of attack and counter attack with rugby the winner. But the game will always be remembered for Welshman Gareth Edwards’ sensation try while playing for the Barbarians.

For the record the All Blacks lost 23-11, which translates to 27-13 in today’s scoring system, their only defeat of the tour.

8) Ben Johnson stripped of Olympic gold (Seoul, 1988)

Sprinter Ben Johnson was sent home from the Seoul Olympic Games in disgrace.

The Canadian was stripped of his 100m gold medal after testing positive for drugs.

Johnson had just arrived home in Toronto and had said he would appeal against the International Olympics Committee's verdict.

But the IOC said the athlete's intended defence - that a herbal drink he consumed before the race had been spiked - will not be accepted.

Samples of Johnson's urine were tested for drugs three days after the 100m final which Johnson won in a world record time of 9.79 seconds.

9) Boris Becker wins Wimbledon aged 17 (Wimbledon, 1985)

The West German teenager Boris Becker become the youngest ever player to win the Wimbledon tennis tournament.

Becker, a 17-year-old unseeded outsider before the tournament began, raised the coveted silver trophy above his head to rapturous applause on centre court.

Becker was also the first German ever to win the title, and the first unseeded player.

He had dominated the match from the start, taking just three hours and 18 minutes to overpower eighth-seeded Kevin Curren, a South-African-born American.

10) Red Rum’s third Grand National win (Aintree 1977)

Red Rum achieved an unmatched historic treble when he won his third Grand National in 1977, following two previous success’ in 1973 and 1974.

He came in second in 1975 and 1976. In his first two victories, he was ridden by Brian Fletcher. However in 1975, when L’Escargot was victorious, Fletcher was blamed for costing him victory by holding him back.

In 1976, Tommy Stack replaced Fletcher but was held off by Rag Trade. The following year Stack rode him to his triumphant third National win, considered the greatest horse racing moment in history.

Not surprisingly, Red Rum became one of the best known and most loved racehorses in the UK and Ireland.

Here’s a selection of some of the most memorable sporting moments over the past 40 years that didn't make our top.

Do you remember any of these great sporting moments?

1950s

1953: Stanley Matthews and Blackpool win the FA Cup1954: Roger Bannister’s four minute mile1956: German goalkeeper Bert Trautmann plays on with a broken neck in the FA Cup final

1960s

1963: Henry Cooper knocks down Mohammed Ali at Wembley1967: Celtic win the European Cup1968: Don Fox’s missed kick in the rugby league Challenge Cup final1968: Bob Beamon smashes the long jump world record at the 68 Olympics1968: Tommie Smith and John Carlos's Black Power Salute in the Mexico Olympics 1968: Manchester United win the European Cup1968: Gary Sobers hits six sixes in one over

1970s

1970: George Best scores six goals for Manchester United against Northampton1970: Gordon Banks’ save off the line against Brazil in the football World Cup1970: Carlos Alberto’s wonder goal for Brazil against Italy 1972: Ronnie Radford’ winning goal for Hereford against Newcastle in the FA Cup third round.1972: Mary Peters wins gold in the pentathlon1972: Mark Spitz wins seven swimming Olympic gold medals in Munich1974: Johann Cruyff invents the “Cruyff turn” at World Cup ‘741974: Dennis Law’s backheel relegates Manchester United1975: Arthur Ashe wins Wimbledon1977: Liverpool winning the European Cup1977: Virgina Wade wins Wimbledon1978: The University Boat Race ends in farce as Cambridge sink1978: Archie Gemmill’s goal for Scotland against Holland in the 1978 World Cup